inferior

English

Alternative forms

• inferiour(obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed fromLatinīnferior(“lower in situation or place”),comparative ofīnferus(“below, underneath”).

Pronunciation

• enPR:ĭnfîrēər
• (Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ɪnˈfɪə.ɹi.ə/
• (General American)IPA^(key):/ɪnˈfɪɹ.i.ɚ/

• Audio(General American):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-ɪəɹiə(ɹ)

Adjective

inferior(comparativemoreinferior,superlativemostinferior)

1. Lowerinrank,status,orquality.

   Anna had always feltinferiorto her brother due to poor school grades.

   The pathological liar was morallyinferiorto his much nicer constituents.

   • 1700,[John] Dryden,“Preface”, inFables Ancient and Modern;[…],London:[…]Jacob Tonson,[…],→OCLC:

     Whether they are equal orinferiorto my other poems, an author is the most improper judge.

   1. Of lowrank,standardorquality.

      aninferiorofficer

   2. (law)(of acourtortribunal)Susceptibleto having its decisionsoverturnedby a higher court.
   3. (economics)Denotinggoodsorserviceswhich are in greaterdemandduring arecessionthan in aboom,for examplesecond-handclothes.
2. Locatedbelow:
   2. (anatomy)Situated furtherbelow(another part of the body), a direction that in humans corresponds tocaudad.
   3. (zoology)Situated in a relatively lowposteriororventralposition in aquadrupedalbody.
   4. (botany)Situated below some otherorgan(said of acalyxwhen free from theovary,and therefore below it, or of an ovary with anadherentand therefore inferior calyx).
   5. (botany)On the side of aflowerwhich is next to thebract.

      Synonym:anterior

   6. (typography)Printed insubscript.

      aninferiorfigure or letter

   7. (astronomy)Below thehorizon.

      theinferiorpart of a meridian

3. (astronomy)Nearer to theSunthan theEarthis.

   theinferioror interior planets; aninferiorconjunction of Mercury or Venus

Usage notes

Inferiorandsuperiorare generally followed byto;thanis seen sometimes, but is viewed as wrong becausethanrequires a grammatical comparative, not a notional one.

Synonyms

• See alsoThesaurus:bad

Antonyms

• superior

Coordinate terms

• (dentistry location adjectives)anterior,‎apical,‎apicocoronal,‎axial,‎buccal,‎buccoapical,‎buccocervical,‎buccogingival,‎buccolabial,‎buccolingual,‎bucco-occlusal,‎buccopalatal,‎cervical,‎coronal,‎coronoapical,‎distal,‎distoapical,‎distobuccal,‎distocervical,‎distocoronal,‎distofacial,‎distogingival,‎distoincisal,‎distolingual,‎disto-occlusal,‎distoclusal,‎distocclusal,‎distopalatal,‎facial,‎gingival,‎incisal,‎incisocervical,‎inferior,‎labial,‎lingual,‎linguobuccal,‎linguo-occlusal,‎mandibular,‎maxillary,‎mesial,‎mesioapical,‎mesiobuccal,‎mesiocervical,‎mesiocoronal,‎mesiodistal,‎mesiofacial,‎mesioincisal,‎mesiogingival,‎mesiolingual,‎mesio-occlusal,‎mesioclusal,‎mesiocclusal,‎mesiopalatal,‎occlusal,‎palatal,‎posterior,‎proximal,‎superior,‎vestibular^{(Category:en:Dentistry)[edit]}

Derived terms

• anterior inferior cerebellar artery
• anteroinferior
• inferior alveolar artery
• inferior alveolar nerve
• inferior cervical ganglion
• inferior colliculus
• inferior court
• inferior dental artery
• inferior ganglion
• inferior good
• inferiority
• inferiorize
• inferior laryngeal artery
• inferior laryngeal nerve
• inferiorly
• inferior mesenteric artery
• inferiormost
• inferior nasal concha
• inferiorness
• inferior oblique
• inferior oblique muscle
• inferior orbital fissure
• inferior petrosal sinus
• inferior pharyngeal constrictor
• inferior planet
• inferior rectus
• inferior sagittal sinus
• inferior thyroid artery
• inferior vena cava
• infero-
• lateroinferior
• noninferior
• posterior inferior cerebellar artery
• posteroinferior
• superoinferior

Related terms

• Armenia Inferior
• limit inferior

Translations

of lower quality

• Bashkir:ҡайтыш(qaytış),кәм(kəm)
• Bulgarian:нискокачествен(niskokačestven)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Đê liệt(zh)(dīliè)

• Czech:podřadný
• Finnish:huonompi(fi),huono(fi),kehno(fi)
• Galician:inferior(gl)
• Georgian:დაბალხარისხოვანი(dabalxarisxovani),დაბალხარისხიანი(dabalxarisxiani)
• Italian:inferiore(it)
• Japanese:Liệt る(ja)(otoru)
• Latin:secundārius
• Polish:podrzędny(pl),pośledni(pl)
• Portuguese:inferior(pt)
• Romanian:inferior(ro)
• Russian:ху́дший(ru)(xúdšij)
• Sanskrit:अनार्य(sa)(anārya)
• Spanish:inferior(es)
• Swedish:undermålig(sv)
• Turkish:aşağı derecede olan
• Ukrainian:гірший(hiršyj)

of lower rank

• Bulgarian:по-нисш(po-nisš),подчинен(bg)(podčinen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Đê tiện／Đê tiện(zh)(dījiàn)

• Czech:méněcenný(cs)
• Danish:underordnet(da)
• Esperanto:malsupra
• Finnish:alempiarvoinen(fi),alempi(fi)
• French:inférieur(fr)
• Galician:inferior(gl)
• Georgian:დაქვემდებარებული(dakvemdebarebuli),დამორჩილებული(damorčilebuli)
• German:untergeordnet(de),nachgeordnet(de),unterlegen(de)
• Greek:κατώτερος(el)(katóteros)
• Italian:inferiore(it)
• Japanese:賎しい(ja)(iyashii),Hạ cấp の(ja)(kakyū no),Hạ 賎な(ja)(gesen na)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:mindreverdig

  Nynorsk:mindreverdig

• Romanian:inferior(ro)
• Russian:нижестоя́щий(ru)(nižestojáščij),подчинённый(ru)(podčinjónnyj),мла́дший(ru)(mládšij)("junior", of army, police officers),ни́зший(ru)(nízšij)
• Spanish:inferior(es)
• Swedish:underordnad(sv)
• Ukrainian:підлеглий(pidlehlyj)
• Walloon:dizotrin(wa)

located below

• Armenian:ստորին(hy)(storin)
• Bulgarian:долен(bg)(dolen)
• Finnish:alempi(fi),alhaisempi(fi)
• French:inférieur(fr)
• Galician:inferior(gl)
• Georgian:ქვედა(kveda)
• German:tiefer(de)
• Greek:κάτω(el)(káto)
• Italian:inferiore(it)
• Romanian:inferior(ro)
• Russian:ни́жний(ru)(nížnij)
• Spanish:inferior(es)
• Ukrainian:нижній(nyžnij)
• Walloon:dizotrin(wa)

inside the flower stalk

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Esperanto:^{(pleaseverify)}malsupera

Noun

inferior(pluralinferiors)

1. A person of lowerrank,stature,orabilityto another.

   Antonym:superior

   As you are myinferior,I can tell you to do anything I want.

2. (printing)Aninferiorletter,figure,orsymbol.

Translations

person of lower status

• Bulgarian:подчинен(bg)m(podčinen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Hạ chúc／Hạ chúc(zh)(xiàshǔ)

• Czech:podřízený(cs)
• Danish:underordnet(da)
• Finnish:alempiarvoinen(fi)
• French:inférieur(fr)
• Galician:inferior(gl),subordinado
• Greek:υφιστάμενος(el)morf(yfistámenos)
• Italian:inferiore(it)m,di basso rango
• Japanese:賎(ja)(shizu),Hạ っ đoan(ja)(shitappa),Mục hạ(ja)(meshita)
• Russian:подчинённый(ru)m(podčinjónnyj)
• Spanish:inferior(es)
• Ukrainian:підле́глийm(pidléhlyj),підле́глаf(pidléhla)
• Welsh:adlawm

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Chinese:

  Mandarin:^{(pleaseverify)}Hạ đẳng(zh)(xiàděng)

• Dutch:^{(pleaseverify)}inferieur(nl)
• German:^{(pleaseverify)}minderwertig(de)
• Korean:^{(pleaseverify)}열등한(yeoldeunghan)
• Latin:^{(pleaseverify)}inferiormorf,^{(pleaseverify)}inferiusn

References

• “inferior”,inLexico,Dictionary.com;Oxford University Press,2019–2022.
• “inferior”,inMerriam-Webster Online Dictionary,Springfield, Mass.:Merriam-Webster,1996–present.
• “inferior”,inThe Century Dictionary[…],New York, N.Y.:The Century Co.,1911,→OCLC.
• “inferior”,inOneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• fire iron,fireiron

Catalan

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinīnferiōrem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):(Central)[iɱ.fə.ɾiˈor]
• IPA^(key):(Balearic)[iɱ.fə.ɾiˈo]
• IPA^(key):(Valencia)[iɱ.fe.ɾiˈoɾ]

Adjective

inferiormorf(masculine and feminine pluralinferiors)

1. inferior
2. lower

Related terms

• inferioritat

Further reading

• “inferior”inDiccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició,Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “inferior”,inGran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana,Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana,2024
• “inferior”inDiccionari normatiu valencià,Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “inferior”inDiccionari català-valencià-balear,Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

German

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinīnferior(“lower, inferior”),the comparative ofīnferus(“low, nether, underground”).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

inferior(strong nominative masculine singularinferiorer,not comparable)

1. subordinate,secondary
2. (of people)inferior

   sichinferiorfühlen―to feelinferior

3. substandard,bad

Declension

Positive forms ofinferior(uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		eristinferior	sieistinferior	esistinferior	siesindinferior
strong declension (without article)	nominative	inferiorer	inferiore	inferiores	inferiore
	genitive	inferioren	inferiorer	inferioren	inferiorer
	dative	inferiorem	inferiorer	inferiorem	inferioren
	accusative	inferioren	inferiore	inferiores	inferiore
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	derinferiore	dieinferiore	dasinferiore	dieinferioren
	genitive	desinferioren	derinferioren	desinferioren	derinferioren
	dative	deminferioren	derinferioren	deminferioren	deninferioren
	accusative	deninferioren	dieinferiore	dasinferiore	dieinferioren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	eininferiorer	eineinferiore	eininferiores	(keine)inferioren
	genitive	einesinferioren	einerinferioren	einesinferioren	(keiner)inferioren
	dative	eineminferioren	einerinferioren	eineminferioren	(keinen)inferioren
	accusative	eineninferioren	eineinferiore	eininferiores	(keine)inferioren

Further reading

• “inferior”inDudenonline
• “inferior”inDigitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/inˈfe.ri.or/,[ĩːˈfɛriɔr]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/inˈfe.ri.or/,[iɱˈfɛːrior]

Adjective

īnferior(neuterīnferius);third declension

1. comparative degreeofīnferus;lowerinsituationorplace
   1. Subsequent,later,latterintimeorsuccession
   2. Inferiororlowerinquality,rank,ornumber
      • 8CE,Ovid,Fasti4.861–862:

        et quotiēns steterīs domitō sublīmis in orbe,
        omnia sint numerīsīnferiōratuīs.

        And whenever you will stand exalted for having conquered the world,
        may everything belowerthan your shoulders!
        (The poet foretells the eventual dominion of theRoman Empirenow thatRomulushas founded the city ofRome.)

Inflection

Third-declensioncomparative adjective.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	īnferior	īnferius		īnferiōrēs	īnferiōra
Genitive	īnferiōris			īnferiōrum
Dative	īnferiōrī			īnferiōribus
Accusative	īnferiōrem	īnferius		īnferiōrēs	īnferiōra
Ablative	īnferiōre			īnferiōribus
Vocative	īnferior	īnferius		īnferiōrēs	īnferiōra

Related terms

• īnfimus(superlative)

Descendants

Descendants ofinferiorin other languages

• →Catalan:inferior
• →English:inferior
• →French:inférieur
• →Galician:inferior
• →Italian:inferiore
• →Occitan:inferior
• →Portuguese:inferior
• →Spanish:inferior

References

• “inferior”,inCharlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879)A Latin Dictionary,Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “inferior”,inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary,New York: Harper & Brothers
• inferiorinGaffiot, Félix (1934)Dictionnaire illustré latin-français,Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894)Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1],London:Macmillan and Co.
  • later writers:scriptores aetate posterioresorinferiores
    
  • to gain a weak case by clever pleading:causam inferiorem dicendo reddere superiorem(λόγον κρείττω ποιειν) (Brut. 8. 30)
    
  • to be defeated in fight, lose the battle:proelio vinci, superari, inferiorem, victum discedere
    
  • to come off victorious:superiorem(opp.inferiorem),victorem (proelio, pugna) discedere
    

Occitan

Etymology

FromLatinīnferior.

Pronunciation

• Audio(Béarn):

  (file)

Adjective

inferiorm(feminine singularinferiora,masculine pluralinferiors,feminine pluralinferioras)

1. inferior
2. lower

Portuguese

Etymology

BorrowedfromLatinīnferiōrem.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fe.ɾiˈoʁ/[ĩ.fe.ɾɪˈoh],(faster pronunciation)/ĩ.feˈɾjoʁ/[ĩ.feˈɾjoh]

• (Brazil)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fe.ɾiˈoʁ/[ĩ.fe.ɾɪˈoh],(faster pronunciation)/ĩ.feˈɾjoʁ/[ĩ.feˈɾjoh]
  • (São Paulo)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fe.ɾiˈoɾ/[ĩ.fe.ɾɪˈoɾ],(faster pronunciation)/ĩ.feˈɾjoɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fe.ɾiˈoʁ/[ĩ.fe.ɾɪˈoχ],(faster pronunciation)/ĩ.feˈɾjoʁ/[ĩ.feˈɾjoχ]
  • (Southern Brazil)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fe.ɾiˈoɻ/[ĩ.fe.ɾɪˈoɻ],(faster pronunciation)/ĩ.feˈɾjoɻ/

• (Portugal)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fɨˈɾjoɾ/

• (Portugal)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fɨˈɾjoɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal)IPA^(key):/ĩ.fɨˈɾjo.ɾi/

• Hyphenation:in‧fe‧ri‧or

Adjective

inferiormorf(pluralinferiores)

1. inferior

   Antonym:superior

Romanian

Etymology

BorrowedfromFrenchinférieur,fromLatininferior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/ˌin.fe.riˈor/

Adjective

inferiormorn(feminine singularinferioară,masculine pluralinferiori,feminine and neuter pluralinferioare)

1. inferior

   Antonym:superior

Declension

Declension ofinferior

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	inferior		inferioară	inferiori	inferioare
	definite	inferiorul		inferioara	inferiorii	inferioarele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	inferior		inferioare	inferiori	inferioare
	definite	inferiorului		inferioarei	inferiorilor	inferioarelor

Related terms

• inferioritate

Spanish

Etymology

FromLatinīnferior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/infeˈɾjoɾ/[ĩɱ.feˈɾjoɾ]
• Rhymes:-oɾ
• Syllabification:in‧fe‧rior

Adjective

inferiormorf(masculine and feminine pluralinferiores)

1. inferior(of lower quality)
2. inferior(of lower rank)
3. inferior;lower(below)
   • 20 August 2023,Jordi Quixano, “España se hace inmortal con la conquista de su primer Mundial femenino”, inEl País‎^[2]:

     España derribó la puerta de la eternidad para hacerse inmortal, para ponerse el laurel de oro y diamantes, para significarse al fin como la mejor del mundo, cosa que llevaba años haciendo en las categoríasinferiores.

     (pleaseadd an English translationof this quotation)

Antonyms

• superior

Derived terms

• anteroinferior
• inferiormente
• límite inferior
• parte inferior
• paso inferior
• posteroinferior
• vena cava inferior

Related terms

• inferioridad

Further reading

• “inferior”,inDiccionario de la lengua española,Vigésima tercera edición,Real Academia Española,2014